You don’t have to know about Jane Austen to become spellbound by her, as six disparate Californians soon discover in the beautifully acted, romantic drama The Jane Austen Book Club, available to buy and rent on DVD from 17th March 2008, courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

When Jocelyn buries one of her beloved dogs her friends rally around with a plan to take her mind off her loss. Coming up with the idea of a book club concentrating on the works of Jane Austen, Bernadette recruits a further four members, including the recently single Sylvia, her lesbian daughter Allegra, uptight Prudie and handsome recluse Grigg.

As the members of the group start to make their way through Austen’s classics they begin to discover parallels with their own invariably complicated lives. And, just as in Austen’s work, love starts to blossom in the most unlikely of places.

Also featuring JIMMY SMITS (Star Wars Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith, TV’s The West Wing) and MARC BLUCAS (First Daughter, TV’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer), The Jane Austen Book Club is the most modern of bittersweet dramas that still captures the essence of Austen in the far flung reaches of forward-thinking California, proving that true classics never die.